attributes his death to affaffmation, can weigh nothing againft
pofitive faft.
Elkenfon defcribed Charles as tall and thin; his hair fhort,
thick, and curling, with great animation of countenance. He
(hewed us a wooden chair, in which Charles was fitting when
he was ihot. The old man recolledted to have feen the king
three times, once in particular in the town of Fredericihall. As
he was fitting at the window of a houfe inhabited by one of the
magiftrates, he obferved Charles in the oppofite houfe. While
the batteries from the citadel were firing heavily at the enemy’s
trenches, a young woman, who was looking at the king from
one of the windows of the magiftrate’s houfe, chanced to drop a
ring into the ftreet. His majefty taking notice of her, faid,
“ Madam, dp the guns of this place always make fuch an uproar?
” “ Never,” returned the girl, “ but when we are honoured
with fuch illuftrious vifitors as yoiir majefty.” The king was
much pleafed with the anfwer, and ordered one of his foldiers to
take up the ring and return it.
The fmali village of Tiftedal is fituated at about three miles
from Fredericihall, upon a beautiful cataraft of the Tifte, which
precipitates itfelf in continued but irregular falls for a con-
fiderable way, and- turns feveral faw-mills that form very pic-
turefque objedts, impending over the torrent of waters. Above
the village is a villa called Vake, from which we commanded a
moft delightful profpedh Towards the inland parts, a fmall lake
beautifully fringed with pafture and wood; below, the river
Tifte
F R E D E R I C S S T A D T .
Tifte forming a feries of cataracts, then winding through a
finall valley and between two ridges of rocks (haded with pines
and underwood; the bay of the fea fprinkled with rocky iflands j
the town of Fredericihall and its caftle towering on the finn-
mit of a perpendicular rock clofing the view.
Fredericsftadt, diftant from Fredericihall about four Norwegian,
or nearly twenty-fix Engliih miles, ftands upon the river
Glomme, and is the moft regular fortrefs in this part of Norway,,
containing an arfenal amply fupplied with arms for the militia,
in cafe of a rupture with Sweden. It was built in 1567, by Frederic
the Second, ftrengthened by Frederic the Third, and has;
been fince gradually enlarged and fortified according to the modern
and more regular plan- The ramparts enclofe a (pace off
about three quarters of a mile in circumference, and .the population
of the town, including the two fuburbs, amounts to no more
than 800 fouls. A few years ago the town was confirmed by
fire, and the houfes are moftly new. Clofe to the town is the
new fortrefs of Kongfteen, on a rocky eminence, capable of containing
a garrifon of 300 men. Several convifts are here condemned
to hard labour. The greateft offenders have an iron cap,,
chains round their arms, legs, and bodies: the chains round their
arms are rivetted to a wheelbarrow, which is never loofened.
The town is fituated upon the Glomme, the largeft river ini
this part of Norway. The inhabitants export planks, and a few.
fmall mails. The principal commerce is carried on by Meffrs..
Ankers and Holt, of Chriftiania.
This,